With the arrival of triple-digit days, Austin is heating up. Scorching summer heat can pose significant dangers. In fact, heat waves claim more lives among Americans than many other natural disasters including floods, lightning, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Heat waves are especially concerning for older adults, folks with respiratory conditions, and people that lack access to air conditioning and shade trees.
Heat waves also stress our power grid. During extreme heat, air conditioners run longer and work harder — emitt…
I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by educating our community about the importance of plants and sustainable landscapes.
Matthew Gaston is many things: educator, TikToker, native Central Texan, friend of plants, and our newest Net-Zero Hero! Matthew is passionate about fostering a love of plants — particularly native plants — throughout Central Texas and beyond. From his work as Education Director for the Zilker Botanica…
At the Office of Sustainability, we know that the many school gardens across Austin offer students an opportunity for play, discovery, and learning — and that they wouldn't be possible without the tremendous support of volunteers. The Friends in Gardening Award was created in 2023 by the Central Texas School Garden Network to recognize the efforts of an o…
At the Office of Sustainability, we are proud to work in an organization where so many employees are committed to supporting a brighter, greener Austin — both in and out of the office. Karlee Taylor, Environmental Conservation Information Specialist with the Wildland Conservation Division of Austin Water, is a shining example.
For Karlee, living a sustainable life is rooted in valuing and respecting not only the earth, but also her local…
We’re helping to make Austin Net-Zero by biking our way through life.
May is National Bike Month. To celebrate, we sat down with two Austinites who are doing their part to support a more sustainable Austin one ride at a time. Meet Sagar Kumashi and Saket Sripada. Sagar and Saket are friends committed to reducing their carbon footprint. In Aust…
Meet the 2023 Sustainability Superheroes: Katrin Abel, Ann DeSanctis, and Steve Nelson! These three individuals completed all eight of the individual activities featured in the Earth Month Challenge! In honor of Earth Month, the Earth Month Challenge invited Austinites to work toward a brighter, greener Austin by engaging in sustainability-focused act…
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Across the US, we celebrate …
I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by giving new life to high-quality materials, imagining and creating them into modern, functional goods.
Meet Aileen Chen: maker, mother, entrepreneur, and our newest Net-Zero Hero! Aileen is the founder of REVISION GOODS, where she works to give otherwise-discarded materials new life by creating “modern, functional home goods that don’t burden the planet…
We're excited to introduce our newest team member to the Office of Sustainability: Angela Baucom! Angela is taking on the new role of Food and Climate Program Coordinator. She'll be supporting both the climate and food teams in understanding where their work intersects and how to best leverage resources for collective impact. As Angela settles into the new role, we asked her some getting-to-know-you questions to help introduce her to our larger community.
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We’re helping to make Austin Net-Zero by promoting stewardship of our local watersheds.
As part of the Girl Scout Law, every scout agrees to “use resources wisely” and “make the world a better place.” For Troop 40348, the scouts live these practices above and below the waves.…